Homer, Iliad XXI, 1-53 - Gr vs English (Murray)

Chiara Palladino / Homer, Iliad, 21.1-53
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο Ξάνθου δινήεντος , ὃν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς , ἔνθα διατμήξας τοὺς μὲν πεδίον δὲ δίωκε πρὸς πόλιν , ᾗ περ Ἀχαιοὶ ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο ἤματι τῷ προτέρῳ , ὅτε μαίνετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ · τῇ ῥ’ οἵ γε προχέοντο πεφυζότες , ἠέρα δ’ Ἥρη πίτνα πρόσθε βαθεῖαν ἐρυκέμεν · ἡμίσεες δὲ ἐς ποταμὸν εἰλεῦντο βαθύρροον ἀργυροδίνην , ἐν δ’ ἔπεσον μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ , βράχε δ’ αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα , ὄχθαι δ’ ἀμφὶ περὶ μεγάλ’ ἴαχον · οἳ δ’ ἀλαλητῷ ἔννεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ἑλισσόμενοι περὶ δίνας . ὡς δ’ ὅθ’ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ἀκρίδες ἠερέθονται φευγέμεναι ποταμὸν δέ · τὸ δὲ φλέγει ἀκάματον πῦρ ὄρμενον ἐξαίφνης , ταὶ δὲ πτώσσουσι καθ’ ὕδωρ · ὣς ὑπ’ Ἀχιλλῆος Ξάνθου βαθυδινήεντος πλῆτο ῥόος κελάδων ἐπιμὶξ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν . Αὐτὰρ ὃ διογενὴς δόρυ μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ὄχθῃ κεκλιμένον μυρίκῃσιν , ὃ δ’ ἔσθορε δαίμονι ἶσος φάσγανον οἶον ἔχων , κακὰ δὲ φρεσὶ μήδετο ἔργα , τύπτε δ’ ἐπιστροφάδην · τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτ’ ἀεικὴς ἄορι θεινομένων , ἐρυθαίνετο δ’ αἵματι ὕδωρ . ὡς δ’ ὑπὸ δελφῖνος μεγακήτεος ἰχθύες ἄλλοι φεύγοντες πιμπλᾶσι μυχοὺς λιμένος εὐόρμου δειδιότες · μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει ὅν κε λάβῃσιν · ὣς Τρῶες ποταμοῖο κατὰ δεινοῖο ῥέεθρα πτῶσσον ὑπὸ κρημνούς . ὃ δ’ ἐπεὶ κάμε χεῖρας ἐναίρων , ζωοὺς ἐκ ποταμοῖο δυώδεκα λέξατο κούρους ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος · τοὺς ἐξῆγε θύραζε τεθηπότας ἠΰτε νεβρούς , δῆσε δ’ ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι , τοὺς αὐτοὶ φορέεσκον ἐπὶ στρεπτοῖσι χιτῶσι , δῶκε δ’ ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας . αὐτὰρ ὃ ἂψ ἐπόρουσε δαϊζέμεναι μενεαίνων . Ἔνθ’ υἷι Πριάμοιο συνήντετο Δαρδανίδαο ἐκ ποταμοῦ φεύγοντι Λυκάονι , τόν ῥά ποτ’ αὐτὸς ἦγε λαβὼν ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλοντα ἐννύχιος προμολών · ὃ δ’ ἐρινεὸν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ τάμνε νέους ὄρπηκας , ἵν’ ἅρματος ἄντυγες εἶεν · τῷ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀνώϊστον κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς . καὶ τότε μέν μιν Λῆμνον ἐϋκτιμένην ἐπέρασσε νηυσὶν ἄγων , ἀτὰρ υἱὸς Ἰήσονος ὦνον ἔδωκε · κεῖθεν δὲ ξεῖνός μιν ἐλύσατο πολλὰ δ’ ἔδωκεν Ἴμβριος Ἠετίων , πέμψεν δ’ ἐς δῖαν Ἀρίσβην · ἔνθεν ὑπεκπροφυγὼν πατρώϊον ἵκετο δῶμα . ἕνδεκα δ’ ἤματα θυμὸν ἐτέρπετο οἷσι φίλοισιν ἐλθὼν ἐκ Λήμνοιο · δυωδεκάτῃ δέ μιν αὖτις χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος θεὸς ἔμβαλεν , ὅς μιν ἔμελλε πέμψειν εἰς Ἀΐδαο καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλοντα νέεσθαι . τὸν δ’ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς γυμνὸν ἄτερ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος , οὐδ’ ἔχεν ἔγχος , ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν ῥ’ ἀπὸ πάντα χαμαὶ βάλε · τεῖρε γὰρ ἱδρὼς φεύγοντ’ ἐκ ποταμοῦ , κάματος δ’ ὑπὸ γούνατ’ ἐδάμνα · ὀχθήσας δ’ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν ·
But when they were now come to the ford of the fair - flowing river , even eddying Xanthus that immortal Zeus begat , there Achilles cleft them asunder , and the one part he drave to the plain toward the city , even where the Achaeans were fleeing in rout the day before , what time glorious Hector was raging—thitherward poured forth some in rout , and Hera spread before them a thick mist to hinder them ; but the half of them were pent into the deep - flowing river with its silver eddies . Therein they flung themselves with a great din , and the sheer - falling streams resounded , and the banks round about rang loudly ; and with noise of shouting swam they this way and that , whirled about in the eddies . And as when beneath the onrush of fire locusts take wing to flee unto a river , and the unwearied fire burneth them with its sudden oncoming , and they shrink down into the water ; even so before Achilles was the sounding stream of deep - eddying Xanthus filled confusedly with chariots and with men . But the Zeus - begotten left there his spear upon the bank , leaning against the tamarisk bushes , and himself leapt in like a god with naught but his sword ; and grim was the work he purposed in his heart , and turning him this way and that he smote and smote ; and from them uprose hideous groaning as they were anchorage in their terror , for greedily doth he devour whatsoever one he catcheth ; even so cowered the Trojans in the streams of the dread river beneath the steep banks . And he , when his hands grew weary of slaying , chose twelve youths alive from out the river as blood - price for dead Patroclus , son of Menoetius . These led he forth dazed like fawns , and bound their hands behind them with shapely thongs , which they themselves wore about their pliant tunics , and gave them to his comrades to lead to the hollow ships . Then himself he sprang back again , full eager to slay . There met he a son of Dardanian Priam fleeing forth from the river , even Lycaon , whom on a time he had himself taken and brought sore against his will , from his father ' s orchard being come forth in the night ; he was cutting with the sharp bronze the young shoots of a wild fig - tree , to be the rims of a chariot ; but upon him , an unlooked - for bane , came goodly Achilles . For that time had he sold him into well - built Lemnos , bearing him thither on his ships , and the son of Jason had given a price for him ; but from thence a guest - friend had ransomed him— and a great price he gave—even Eetion of Imbros , and had sent him unto goodly Arisbe ; whence he had fled forth secretly and come to the house of his fathers . For eleven days ' space had he joy amid his friends , being come forth from Lemnos ; but on the twelfth a god cast him once more into the hands of Achilles , who was to send him to the house of Hades , loath though he was to go . When the swift - footed , goodly Achilles was ware of him , all unarmed , without helm or shield , nor had he a spear , but had thrown all these from him to the ground ; for the sweat vexed him as he sought to flee from out the river , and weariness overmastered his knees beneath him ; then , mightily moved , Achilles spake unto his own great - hearted spirit :

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( 332 ) 78% GRC - ENG

( 508 ) 77% GRC - ENG
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